The present invention relates to an optical disc apparatus for recording or reproducing information, onto a disc-like recording medium (i.e., an optical disc) for optically recording information thereon, and it relates, in particular, to a heat radiation technology of an optical pickup in such the optical disc apparatus.
In general, within the optical disc apparatus for recording/reproducing information onto/from the optical disk, a large amount or volume of heat is generated from a semiconductor laser device (i.e., a laser diode) for generating a laser beam for recording, and also from a laser driver circuit for driving that semiconductor laser device, in particular, when recording onto that optical disc. For that reason, cooling is conducted upon the optical pickup, which mounts therein the semiconductor laser device and the driver circuit thereof, with utilizing airflow accompanying with rotation of the optical disc. Thus, with using a viscosity flow of the air, which is generated by the rotation of the disc, the air is blown upon the optical pickup, directly, through a first penetrating portion provided in a tray, thereby radiating the heat generated from the semiconductor laser device and the driver circuit thereof, both building up the optical pickup.
Also, as other conventional technology, the following technique is already known to be a heat radiation method, not dependent upon the first penetrating portion mentioned above which is provided in the tray.
First, in the following Patent Document 1 is disclosed the structures of providing air suction structures located above the optical disk, which is loaded and stored within a housing, for letting the air below the optical disc to flow into, and further for building up a discharge opening, i.e., a second penetrating portion, which is provided in a deep or bottom portion of the tray on the left-hand side thereof, so as to make up a pair openings, and thereby generating a convection between the upper portion and the lower portion of the tray, within the optical disk apparatus, in order to achieve the heat radiation, while circulating the heat generated from the optical pickup and/or a main board.
Also, in the following Patent Document 2 is disclosed the structures of providing a penetrating portion at a depth or bottom of the tray at the center thereof, so as to send or transfer the viscosity flow of the air generated by rotation of the disc into a lower portion of the tray, and thereby letting to radiate the heat generation of a main board through the convection of the viscosity flow.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-107602 (2006); and
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-310883 (2004).